The Road to the SDGs

upper-middle-income countries and high-income countries. – Prioritise the strengthening of primary health care delivery and prevention, with limited and exceptional support for tertiary care and specialised hospitals — In order to address the increasing burden of diseases in a cost- effective manner, IsDB should devote major portions of funding towards primary health care and disease prevention – Support national health financing initiatives to achieve UHC — This can be addressed by providing technical assistance to help design alternative national health financing, through new 'pooling' mechanisms such as social health insurance, national health insurance and equity funds – Innovate financing for health projects and programmes — Engagement in innovative health finance will evolve from an ad-hoc to a more systematic approach focusing on blended financing, buy-down loans, new Islamic financing models and public- private partnerships – Achieve impact of investment through support for other sectors and thematic policies — The policy promotes collaborations with the other sectors to achieve “Health-in- All-Policies”, as well as a health global value-chain approach – Improve IsDB governance and capacity building in the health sector — Technical expertise, governance, and accountability mechanisms need to be developed in health project design and implementation, and the projects should live beyond the period of IsDB financing. POTENTIAL IMPACTS X The policy considers how IsDB’s goals for the sector can be achieved, with particular focus on the following priorities: – Equity (leaving no one behind) by reversing the prevalent suboptimal status of key health outcomes of the target populations in their various niches – Partnership and improved collaboration among IsDB Group entities to ensure internal coherence of operations, and collaboration with stakeholders at national, regional and international levels – Research and development to meet health demand by providing the required expertise and innovation within MCs to source inputs and services and scaling up proven effective interventions – Sustainable solutions to promote growth and national ownership for the Global South, GVC analysis in the health sector and mapping of actors and stakeholders to increase competitiveness and potential markets in MCs health sector – Regional and country differentiation to ensure the appropriateness of health interventions with the political, economic, social and cultural context of the country or region of the project. INVESTMENT X IsDB has a long history of providing projects in the health sector and its investments in this sector have trebled in the period 2010–2016 over 2003–2009. The projects span different areas of work and MCs within all regions and income groups. X IsDB Group has approved a US$ 2.3 billion COVID-19 ‘Strategic Preparedness and Response Programme’ (SPRP) as a comprehensive integrated response package. X IsDB also has special funds with concessionary and soft loan components, including the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), a US$ 10 billion fund with soft loans and grants similar to the World Bank’s IDA. X It has successfully mobilised through the Lives & Livelihoods Fund US$ 559 million for health sector projects. X Collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has generated a US$ 100 million bond for cholera control in 29 countries. IsDB is also engaging in collaborative ventures to fund the Vaccine Alliance. In addition, the health sector has benefited from 20% of the US$ 700 million disbursements made so far under the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Programme for Charity Works, an innovative financing initiative managed by IsDB. H E A L T H S E C T O R P O L I C Y The policy has evaluated MCs' status relative to internationally recognised standards, serving as a basis for ensuring the alignment of IsDB's agenda with SDG3 targets, and optimising funding allocations [ 37 ] T H E R O A D T O T H E S D G s | P R O G R E S S A N D A C H I E V E M E N T S